Team Kodak Gallery/Sierra Nevada Cycling Camp, California

I thought California equals warmth and summer like conditions no matter what month of the year it is. I certainly was looking forward to what my idea of how the weather should be out here after getting pounded by cold weather and wind for the past few weeks in Boulder. Not too be.

Jesse, Pete and I flew together from Denver out to Ontario, Los Angele's other airport. We were picked up by "monkey" a well known mechanic in from the mountain bike scene, now Brian Lopes's personal mechanic,(for those of you who know the mtb scene). Anyways I remembered him right away from my old mountain bike days and I reminded me how small the cycling world is.

Our Camp site is out in the high desert, close to Palmdale. (Middle of nowhere). Good roads however, plenty of flat rolling terrain and some good size mountains. Altitude is around 4,000ft so still getting the benefit of that and the howling 20-30mph winds and 45 degree weather is keeping me tough.

Good to see the team again, train together and get the season officially started. We've been working well together throughout the rides and being sensitive to different levels of fitness, this being a good sign of positive team work. My training in Boulder at altitude is doing me well, I have been feeling good this week and step up my intensity in my training in good timing. My teammate Mike Dietrich is pretty well, it seems he's been getting in some good training amongst his studies in Arizona, or maybe he's failing all his classes... Anyways I nipped him in a sprint the other day and he wants a two up sprint re-match, he's trying to pull in some money and side bets. All I can say is "bring the money boooyyy!" The pool is up to $20 bucks...some good coffee money for the weekend, I'd say.

My director Robin Zellner says, "Living the dream, Raby. Living the dream."

Certainly.

Antonio Herrero

That's my Godfather. This mafioso hard looking man, had one of the biggest hearts of my knowledge. He was there for me from the start of my life and helped our family through the ups and downs of a foreign family immersed in a thick Spanish village. For the past 6 winters I used that area as my training camp. And now, for the first time due to a new team and great opportunity I must do my prep. here in the States. Although I wont be back Spain for a while, Antonio wont be there either. Sadly he died just a few months ago. I expected to be back over the winter to be with his family, but it must wait. I will miss stopping by his quaint bar on the side of the road up the 5km climb to the village of Frigiliana. He was always there for me for a chat after my long rides and with a "tapa" and refreshing drink. I'll miss his silly questions of why I would ride so long each day, how much I was getting payed, and when I was going to marry an American girl. Well, I am on my way.

Melting Snow, Open Mountain Roads

Colorado's road snow removal is the Sun. This is news to me. Denver/Boulder area only has enough snowplows to take care of major highways and busy roads. And the other hundreds of side streets with 2 feet of snow are just waiting for the Sun. So am I. Maybe I should start a snow plowing service.

Anyways, the Sun has come out and warmed things up a bit enabling me to get off the indoor trainer and head up into the mountains. I headed up from Golden on a 12 mile climb to Golden Gate State Park, reaching close to 10,000ft. Felt good exploring new roads and breathing in that thin clean air. The way down was colder than I thought it would be, but luckily I had brought some serious Ski gloves that Sarah's uncle lent me. They were huge! They probably looked like a pair of boxing gloves on me. Making my "pro look" rather silly.

Temps are on the ups this week, look forward to some long days on the bike and getting into a groove.(Outdoors)

Have pro contract, Will travel.

Sarah and I loaded her Dad's 1990 Chevy conversion van to it's limit. Basically, our lives were packet in there. Destination: Boulder, Colorado. We arrived to a bit of a frozen tundra, nothing compared to my normal training location at this time of year, which has been Sunny Spain for the last six years. But the benefits of training at altitude will surpass sunshine. We have been staying at Sarah's Aunt and Uncle's down in Wheatridge, about a 30 min. drive to Boulder. After about a week of diligent searching we found our selves a clean and cozy apartment in the heart of downtown Boulder. This will be our home, for who knows how long...10 months, a year, two... We'll take it as it comes. We've got a life time pass on the roller coaster of life.

Panoramic pic, taken with my new Kodak EasyShare V570 Digital Camera, presented by our title Sponsor.